Distribution of time-division multiplexed (TDM) management services in a distributed antenna system, and related components, systems, and methods

Abstract

Distribution of management services in distributed antenna systems having a central unit and remote units configured to time-division multiplex (TDM) downlink and/or uplink management signals into time slots to form a TDM management frame signal. In this manner, collision will not occur between multiple management signals communicated over a common communications medium at the same time in the distributed antenna system. Collision detection and management mechanism can add design complexity, cost by requiring additional components, and require additional area on electronic boards. The TDM management frame signal may also be modulated at a carrier frequency before being combined with RF communications signals so that the combined signals are within a linear range of shared certain communications components to reduce cost and area.

We claim: 
     
       1. A remote unit for providing communications signals and management signals in a wireless communications system, the unit comprising:
 at least one media access controller, wherein the unit is configured to:
 receive at the media access controller a plurality of uplink management signals from at least one management controller; 
 time-division multiplex (TDM) the plurality of uplink management signals into individual time slots to form a TDM uplink management frame signal; 
 receive uplink radio frequency (RF) communication signals of at least one RF communications frequency band for at least one RF communications service; 
 combine the TDM uplink management frame signal with the uplink RF communication signals; and 
 send the combined TDM uplink management frame signal and the uplink RF communications signals to a central unit over an uplink communications link, 
 wherein at least a portion of the uplink communications link is comprised of at least one uplink optical fiber and at least one electrical-to-optical converter configured to convert the combined TDM uplink management frame signal and the uplink RF communications signals into a combined TDM uplink optical management frame signal and uplink optical RF communications signals. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The remote unit of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of uplink management signals includes at least one of a configuration management signal, a gain control signal, a status signal, an alarm signal, and a fault signal. 
     
     
       3. The remote unit of  claim 2 , further configured to synchronize the plurality of uplink management signals. 
     
     
       4. The remote unit of  claim 3 , further configured to receive a plurality of combined downlink RF communications signals and TDM downlink management frame signals over a downlink communications link from the central unit for the at least one RF communications service. 
     
     
       5. The remote unit of  claim 4 , further comprising a splitter configured to split each of the plurality of combined downlink RF communications signals and TDM downlink management frame signals into a plurality of downlink RF communications signals and a plurality of TDM downlink management frame signals. 
     
     
       6. The remote unit of  claim 4 , wherein the individual time slots of the TDM uplink management frame signal are fixed sized. 
     
     
       7. The remote unit of  claim 4 , wherein the individual time slots of the TDM uplink management frame signal are variable sized. 
     
     
       8. The remote unit of  claim 4 , wherein the TDM uplink management frame signal is comprised of signals having a protocol selected from the group consisting of Ethernet, universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART), and general purpose input-output (GPIO). 
     
     
       9. The remote unit of  claim 4 , further configured to modulate the TDM uplink management frame signal in a management services frequency band different from the at least one RF communications frequency band. 
     
     
       10. The remote unit of  claim 9 , wherein the management services frequency band is above 2500 MegaHertz (MHz), the remote unit comprising a transceiver configured to modulate the TDM uplink management frame signal at the management services frequency band. 
     
     
       11. A method of providing communications signals and management signals from a remote unit in a wireless communications system, the method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of uplink management signals from at least one management controller; 
 time-division multiplexing (TDM) the plurality of uplink management signals into individual time slots to form a TDM uplink management frame signal; 
 receiving uplink RF communication signals of at least one RF communications frequency band for at least one RF communications service; 
 modulating the TDM uplink management frame signal in a management services frequency band different from the at least one RF communications frequency band; 
 combining the TDM uplink management frame signal with the uplink RF communication signals; 
 sending the combined TDM uplink management frame signal and the uplink RF communication signals over an uplink communications link; 
 synchronizing the plurality of uplink management signals; and 
 wherein at least a portion of the uplink communications link is comprised of optical fiber, further comprising converting the combined TDM uplink management frame signal and the uplink RF communication signals into a combined TDM uplink optical management frame signal and uplink optical RF communications signals. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising receiving a plurality of combined downlink RF communications signals and TDM downlink management frame signals over a downlink communications link from a central unit for the at least one RF communications service. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein time-division multiplexing the plurality of uplink management signals comprises time-division multiplexing the plurality of uplink management signals into individual fixed time slots to form the TDM uplink management frame signal. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein time-division multiplexing the plurality of uplink management signals comprises time-division multiplexing the plurality of uplink management signals into individual variable time slots to form the TDM uplink management frame signal. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 splitting each of the plurality of combined downlink RF communications signals and TDM downlink management frame signals into a plurality of downlink RF communications signals and a plurality of TDM downlink management frame signals; and 
 providing the plurality of downlink RF communications signals to at least one client device. 
 
     
     
       16. A method of providing communications signals and management signals from a remote unit in a wireless communications system, the method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of uplink management signals from at least one management controller; 
 time-division multiplexing (TDM) the plurality of uplink management signals into individual time slots to form a TDM uplink management frame signal; 
 receiving uplink RF communication signals of at least one RF communications frequency band for at least one RF communications service; 
 combining the TDM uplink management frame signal with the uplink RF communication signals; 
 sending the combined TDM uplink management frame signal and the uplink RF communication signals to a central unit over an uplink communications link; 
 synchronizing the plurality of uplink management signals; 
 splitting each of a plurality of combined downlink RF communications signals and TDM downlink management frame signals into a plurality of downlink RF communications signals and a plurality of TDM downlink management frame signals; and 
 demodulating the plurality of TDM downlink management frame signals to provide a plurality of demodulated TDM downlink management frame signals. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 translating the combined demodulated TDM downlink management frame signals into individual downlink management signals; and 
 providing the individual downlink management signals. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising providing the plurality of downlink RF communications signals to at least one client device.